Monterano

Monterano (also known as Antica Monterano or Monterano Vecchia; in Latin almost certainly Manturianum, later corrupted to Manturanum) is a ghost town in Italy, in the province of Rome, in the territory of Canale Monterano. Perched on the flat top of a tuff hill, it is now part of the Monterano Regional Nature Reserve. Thanks to their beauty and closeness to Rome, the ruins of the old town have been used as a set for many Italian and foreign films.

Since 1799 the buildings of Monterano have lain in ruins, which gives the place great charm.

The aqueduct, recently restored by the Province of Rome, crossed the hills east of the town in an underground channel that came to the surface in the final stretch, crossing the little valley below the ducal palace on an imposing double-arched structure still in excellent condition.

To the east stood the Porta Romana, now barely visible, the quickest way into the town for those coming from the Via Clodia and so from Rome; it was protected by the bulk of the castle. To the south opens the Porta Gradella or Cretella, still in good condition; from it starts a footpath paved with Roman basalt blocks, probably reused, which led towards the Bicione ditch and the sulphur mines. The gate of San Bonaventura to the west connected the town with the convent of the same name on the plateau just outside the walls, and was used as the main gate, reached by the two roads that wrapped around the fortress like a horseshoe.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · translated from Italian